Technology is amazing! No longer do we have to rely on sending our photos to a lab for printing. We can do it from the comfort of home using our computers and printers. This is especially ideal for those of us that love to scrapbook because we can print our photos just about any size for our scrapbooks.
But have you noticed that some time after we print our photos they begin to fade. That’s because there is no protective coating applied after printing to protect the ink from the environment.
There is a simple solution. Once you have printed out your photos, allow the ink to dry. You will then want to apply 2-3 coats of an acrylic crystal clear gloss or matte spray (depending on your preference). It is important to use an acrylic spray vs. a water based spray (which will make the ink run.) Follow the spray manufacturers directions on use and allow a few hours for the photos to completely dry before handling the paper.
Using this technique will help preserve those precious moments for many years to come.
As I was checking my facts for this posts, I discovered that Krylon now makes a spray protectant specifically for protecting printed photos at home. So look for it at your local retailer.